Respect thy Father
by draco-is-a-hottie
Summary: Draco has what he wants. Or does he? Trying to please his father, he runs into situations he’d rather not- and the worst part is now he might be in love…It’s not what he was looking for, but he finds out it’s what he needed all along.
1. Chapter 1

Respect thy Father

Since I can imagine that the majority of the readers will be American, I have taken the time to convert the British pounds (£, monetary unit) into U.S. dollars, so that everyone can get a correct sense of the cost mentioned, etc…

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! If you can't tell by reading any of my stories, I'm totally in love with Draco/ Tom Felton… though I try to stay away from saying both of them together for fear of becoming one of those idiot fan girls who can't distinguish the line between a character in a movie and a real guy… Sorry about that- ranting on about stuff but it's one of my many pet peeves (those girls who make poor Tom sign his autographs 'Tom Felton-Malfoy… grrrr) Since I am complaining, I might as well have a go about Pansy Parkinson from the Harry Potter films, more specifically the Prisoner of Azkaban. I don't know if it's just me but I think that that was the WORST acting I have ever had to suffer through. Her line is, "Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" and that's just what my ears are doing (hurting!). Could it have sounded anymore like reading it right off of a script/cue card? Hasn't she ever heard of inflection? Or is she tone-deaf? If I were Pansy, I would be half crying, with an actual _caring_ expression on my face. Not just blank. Oh my god, she's SO annoying… I would have been a much better actress. One more question would be- who the HELL cast her? Probably someone related to her got her the role, right over the heads of more qualified, more emotion-expression girls, aka ME. Ok, back to some stuff someone might actually care about. Well, I'm also completely obsessed with Audis, BMWs and Mercedes' so if you notice me using them repeatedly, now you know why. So anyway, just before I get any angry emails- I'm slightly blurring the line between Muggle and wizard: this means that wizards get to have some Muggle objects- like cars and electricity because I'd like to make it easier on myself and allow the story/plot to focus on the characters rather than how they get around/ use to see. Drop me an email if you're interested in any of my work. I love to get feedback on what I write so type out what you think and send it off… I know this is a LONG note, but if you actually read this, thanks! Now you know a little about me and my story (-ies) so I hope you enjoy!

**Quickie note:** Draco is a guy. He also has grown up in a nearly loveless environment so he's totally clueless about love. I don't want to see any complaints about him being thick or anything… he's just naïve.

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. None of the spells, book titles or creatures either, and as much I would like to own Draco Malfoy, they are all property of J.K. Rowling. _

_Summary:_

_Draco has what he wants. Or does he? Trying to please his father, he runs into situations he'd rather not- and the worst part is now he might be in love…It's not what he was looking for, but he finds out it's what he needed all along._

_Rated R for language, adult situations, violence, alcohol/drug use and sex. _

_Draco Malfoy had always been the rich, spoiled boy. Anything he desired could be his, if he pleased his father or suckered his overprotective mother. He had had a profound respect for his father, since a very young age. He still looks back at one of his first memories, a graphic and startling one, especially to a small child._

When he was about three, he had woken up from his nap with a start. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he wandered down the vast hallways of the Malfoy Manor, until he stopped at his parent's bedroom door. He pushed it open soundlessly; of course powerful Lucius Malfoy couldn't have a squeaky door hinge, and squeezed in the narrow opening. In the bed, his parents were in the act of making love, though he didn't know what it was at the time. All he knew was that his father, who he currently happened to adore, was hurting his mum. He blinked several times, and the first shred of respect for his father rose in his soul-'Father could hurt others to get what he wanted, and it didn't hurt him back'. The respect that flicked to life within tiny Draco wasn't a loving respect, it was bitter cold- a don't mess around respect. And it scared him. He backed up; pushing the door shut behind himself, and ran back to his room.

He also remembered when he was thirteen, and back for summer break from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had had a few growth spurts over the year, both visible and not. One night, though he didn't mean to, he woke up with soiled sheets. He had gotten hell for that one, with such statements like "real men control themselves" and "probably doing something to yourself". His mother had pleaded his case, saying all boys his age had accidents and that he didn't mean to, but he was still heavily punished for it. Lucius had taken him to the duelling hall of their manor, and before Draco had even lifted his wand, his father had performed the Crucio Curse on him, and refused to lift it for a solid ten minutes. Once he had finished, he swept out with a turn of his heel, and left his son, a shivering pile, on the floor. Draco never had anymore erotic dreams.

It was no different now, he was sixteen and coming home for another summer- he loathed other students who came home to happy parents and their own pets. He had always wanted some kind of animal to keep him company, but out of everything he could ever want, his father wouldn't tolerate any creature in his house with the exception of Dobby the house elf and a massive tank of tropical fish. Again, his mother had begged Lucius for him when she saw her son withdrawing from them and growing thinner every break he came home. He was lonely, she knew, but a mother can only do so much with her son. If only he'd have been a daughter, they would be closer than close, telling each other their deepest secrets and darkest desires… But he was born a male. Lucius' territory. If he caught her getting too close to Draco, her son and her would both be punished- her for pushing her feminine ways to him and Draco for allowing it. She sighed as the scarlet steam engine pulled into the station.

Draco, now a tall six foot one, pushed his way through the crowd, shoving a few girls out of the way and threatening a few boys with his wand. Lucius had no change in expression as he saw his son behaving so violently, though she saw the corner of his mouth twitch, meaning Draco would be in trouble later or else it was the beginning of a smile...

"Good day Father. Good day Mother." He said, stopping in front of them and giving his head a slight bow as he said 'father'.

"Good to see you Draco, I missed you!" Narcissa shot a glance at Lucius before she wrapped her slender arms around Draco's broad chest. She'd be punished tonight, but it was worth being able to show some affection to her only child, whom she hadn't seen since last Christmas.

"Son." Draco shook Lucius' hand, staring straight into his father's cold steel eyes with his own.

"Father." He said back, and she could hear the stiff formality in his voice, which had developed a rich baritone sound during his sixth-month absence.

They headed out of platform nine and three-quarters, to the King's Cross parking lot. From his coat pocket, Lucius pulled out a large silver key chain, with a variety of keys jangling merrily. A large black Audi sedan waited in a spot near the doors.

Though normally the Malfoy family would have nothing to do with muggles, a car was necessary due the "damn boy" who couldn't Apparate legally until next April. Also, Lucius had a weakness for anything rich and fancy to reflect his wealth, whether it be a wizard object or not, so in the barn serving as a garage back at the manor sat a Porsche Boxster, a Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV and a tiny BMW Z4 roadster as well as the Audi A8L they were driving today. Though Draco wasn't supposed to, he often snuck away to the barn and sat for hours with the cars. His favourite was the BMW, but he wouldn't dream of ever asking his father anything about it, let alone to drive it. If he were to ask his mother, she would of course be thrilled he actually wanted to do something, anything, for once, but he would end up getting them both in trouble.

The ignition purred as they climbed in, Draco loading his own trunk into the roomy backseat, and then buckling in next to it. Narcissa sat in the passenger seat, where Lucius occasionally let his hand stray off the steering wheel and onto her thigh. She shifted uncomfortably; she had had a recurring dream for about a year in which Draco had caught them in the act- she had the strangest feeling it wasn't a dream…But she was just being silly. From the backseat, Draco saw his father's little flirting actions and turned his head to stare out the window. If he said anything- 'Christ, Father could just out and fuck Mum right in front of me and there isn't a damn thing I could do about it, except get the shit beaten out of me if I said a word about it…" He let out a melancholy sigh.

They all rode in silence for the rest of the car ride.

Draco sat in a trance-like state, watching the bustling city of London, followed the green countryside pass by in a blur. Before he knew it, he heard the crunch of the gravel in the driveway and the continuous growl of the car engine cease. He swung open the door of the Audi, and pulled his trunk out with him. The heavy wooden double-doors swung open magically with a flick of Narcissa's wand, and they both entered together, while Lucius put the car away.

"Oh Draco, why hadn't you written to me as often as you used to?" Narcissa asked once the door had closed behind them.

"Because it's a childish habit to keep up, and I have better things to do." He answered abruptly and turned to begin his ascent of the sweeping marble staircase to the upper levels.

"Don't you love your mummy anymore?" She enquired, slightly hurt.

He sighed. "Don't do this to me Mother. Of course I love you, but I just think you don't need to act like I'm your little puppet anymore. I'm almost a grown man; why can't you act like it?"

"I'm sorry Draco, but…" She faltered, "You're still my only child, once you grow up, I won't have anyone to baby…"

"Get a pet." He replied coldly, and strode up the stairs, dragging his trunk.

Tears burned in the corners of Narcissa's eyes before she turned and walked through the grand dining hall to the large, gleaming kitchen. Sitting down on a stool from the breakfast bar, she summoned herself a glass and a bottle of wine. Slowly she poured the rich red liquid into the chilled flute and sipped gently at first, taking larger and larger swallows as she nearly finished it off. She was on her second glass when Lucius came in through the heavy French doors leading onto the back pavilion.

"May I join you, love?" He asked sweetly, not noticing the tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

Without waiting for an answer, he sat down and summoned himself a glass too. After downing his glass, he got up and when he returned he carried a small glass platter with two martinis perched on it. He offered it to her and she weighed it gently in her hand before gulping down half. The gin burned her throat; making her want to cough but she resisted and she felt her mind loosen slightly, the sharp pain of Draco's words taken down to a rounded slur. He watched her actions intently, with narrow eyes and a half a cold smile.

"So Narcissa, why have you decided to get drunk so early in the day?" He asked, setting his glass down in favour of having a conversation.

"It's hic Draco…" She tried, her tongue tripping over her words. "He doesn't hic love us…anymore…"

"That boy has never loved me… though that doesn't matter in the slightest. I command respect; what has love ever built? Respect is the fundamental foundation for any relationship in the world… you can build huge towers if you have respect for the laws of weight, gravity…you can't create anything with love, except…" He paused, then said the last word with distaste, "children."

"You forgot hic passion. You can create passion with love." She added.

"Yes. Which reminds me- what the hell were you doing when you hugged the boy at the train station?"

"I wanted the give my child a hug! Hic what's wrong with that?"

"It makes us look weak. And the Malfoys are certainly not weak! You will receive your punishment tonight. Wear the black negligee I like." He got up and left the drunken Narcissa tipped sideways on the stool.

Upstairs, Draco was unpacking his trunk angrily. 'What fucking right do they have to command me to love them? And really- who has enough time to sit down and write a fucking letter to dear old Mummy? I have better things to do, like snog my girlfriend or do homework. I'm sure they'd be on my ass awfully fast if their precious only child's grades slipped…' He carefully slammed a pair of shoes onto the shoe rack running the length of his walk-in closet. Still, he couldn't help feeling a little bad about the way he had treated his mother, after all, this was the first time he'd seen her since December. He decided to go down and apologise once he had finished empting out his trunk.

He padded softly down the stairs, and peered into the dining room. Shadows of human movement played across the wall from the sinking sun, indicating someone was in the kitchen. He quietly walked across the room, jumping slightly when his father came around the corner, headed in the opposite direction, acting as if he hadn't even seen him.

Once he arrived in the kitchen, he saw his mother slumped over the table, leaning precariously on the stool she was seated on. He went over and rested his large hand on her sagging shoulder.

"Mum, are you alright?" He leaned in, but pulled back when he smelled the earthy scent of fermented grapes, mixed with the tang of gin. "Are you drunk?"

"I guess so. But I only had a…martini and two… glasses… of wine…"

"God Mum, you know how you get from alcohol! What in hell possessed you to drink so much at this hour of the day?"

"You…" He stared confusedly at her words. "You…don't love me anymore…"

"I told you that I did! I really do mean it… even if I don't always sound like it."

"Oh Draco…" She sniffed, and pulled him into a hug. "Don't grow up anymore sweetie! You're already taller than your father… why don't you just be my little baby for the rest of your life? Remember the good times we used to have together?"

He attempted to back up, but she was clinging ferociously to his upper arms and back. "Okay Mum, why don't you go lay down for a bit? I'm sure you'll feel better… I'll even make you your favourite dinner…how's that sound?"

Draco had taken a liking to cooking at an early age- since he used to sit in his high chair and watch his mother prepare extravagant dinners for his father; he'd loved the exact art that was food preparation. Lucius hadn't been pleased with the fact that Draco was doing "woman's work" but he couldn't deny that fact that his son had talent, though he never admitted it. It was implied the way he ate slowly, considering each bite carefully and swallowing with an expression of utter satisfaction.

"Fine, help me get up please honey." Narcissa agreed, holding onto her son for support as she slid off the barstool onto her feet. She wobbled for a moment, and then began to make her way out of the kitchen. Draco watched her go before turning to face the task at hand.

He walked to the refrigerator, and began to pull out ingredients for Beef Wellington, along with items to throw together a desert. A few hours later, everything was ready- the meat and vegetables were in the warming oven, and the orange mousse was in the fridge cooling. His father always made them dress appropriately for dinner, so he rushed upstairs and put on his black suit and red tie.

When he came back down to serve the dinner, his father and mother had arrived and were already seated at the huge mahogany dining table. He took note that his mother seemed to have recovered slightly- she had slid into a crème-coloured chiffon gown, and put up her silken blond hair. His father wore his usual black suit, almost identical to Draco's. They both looked up when the heard him.

He carried in the food on a large silver platter, and sat it in front of his father before taking his usual seat on the right of him. Of course Lucius helped himself first, pushing the platter towards Draco next. He nudged it back to his mother; luckily his father didn't notice or he would be in trouble- in his opinion, men should always get what they want, before women get whatever's left. She took her portion and allowed Draco to serve himself before she took a bite. Lucius was halfway through his by the time they began.

After dinner, they family always gathered in a small sitting room- complete with a roaring fire and a heavy wooden desk for Lucius to review the day's dealings. Narcissa busied herself with a large tapestry she was embroidering, Draco read from a gold-edged book taken from the shelves in their vast library and Lucius seated himself behind the desk with a glass of brandy, casually reviewing various papers with numbers written neatly across them. The clock ticked away an hour, then two, before Draco stood up and stretched silently.

"Father, may I be excused to turn in for the night?"

"You may go." He replied sharply. Once he had shut the door, Lucius turned to his wife. "You may also leave, as you need to put on the negligee I requested earlier and ready yourself."

"Yes, dear…" Narcissa put away her tapestry and also left the room. He stayed for a bit longer, reading his papers and smiling greedily.

About ten minutes later, he headed up to his room, where he harshly punished his wife for her 'stupidity', using handcuffs, a whip and his own body.

After being dismissed, Draco went to his room and closed the door behind him upon his arrival. For a few minutes, he poured over some old letters on his desk when a tapping on his window startled him. It was his gorgeous eagle owl, Chevêche, with a letter clamped in her beak. He slid the window open, and allowed the owl to step onto the sill. After he took the letter from her, she immediately flew over to her cage where she stuck her head under her wing once she had perched. He watched her for a second, and then turned his attention to the letter held in his hands.

It was from his friend, Gregory Goyle. From what he gathered, trying to decipher the chicken scratch, there was to be a party at Pansy's (?) but the writing got pretty bad and he wasn't sure he read it correctly. He sighed again, which he seemed to be doing a lot of lately; there was no way his parents would let him go…

Still thinking of the party, he removed his suit, re-hanging it in his closet and pulled off his socks. Now in just his black silk boxers, he slipped between the sheets of his king-sized bed and switched off the light. Rolling over to shield his face from the moonlight pouring in the window, he still mulled the party over in his mind. A sudden thought struck his mind- he could sneak out…all he had to do was fly on his brand-new Firebolt, or he could even take one of the cars …after all, his dear Mum had made him test for his driver's license, paying so that he could get it- even though he was still ten months off from turning seventeen. His father hadn't known about that one… and he suspected his mother knew his desire for the cars parked out in the barn. He smiled for a brief moment before deciding to think it out completely in the morning. Quietly, he fell into a light sleep while a ways down the hallway, his mother cried out in pain as Lucius roughly and sharply entered her.

Everyone was quiet at the breakfast table; Lucius occasionally ruffling the pages of the Daily Prophet, Draco sipping slowly at his coffee and Narcissa grimacing from the soreness of her body as she walked from the stove to the table with her husband's eggs and bacon. After Lucius had finished, he announced his departure and gave his wife a peck on the lips before he apparated to work. Narcissa began to clean up the kitchen, as Draco picked up the newspaper.

"Is something wrong Draco? You seem preoccupied this morning." She asked him.

He paused, considering telling her about her about the party. "Well…no."

"Ok, I'm off then. I have some shopping to do… be good, baby." She kissed his forehead and after summoning her purse, she apparated too.

Draco was alone in the cavernous manor now, and he decided to go out to the barn for a little bit, despite the fact he was still in his bathrobe. On his way out the door he grabbed a key chain full of shiny silver keys.

He crossed the sweeping lawn and unlocked the door. After flicking the florescent lights to life, he considered the facing forward line of black cars; the red Porsche sticking out like a sore thumb. An invisible aura lured him to the petite BMW on the end. His fingers traced the delicate trim along the length of the roadster, before he dropped all of the keys except for the one blazoned with the circular blue and white logo. His hand was drawn closer to the keyhole, eventually shaking as it neared within an inch. Pausing before it, he braced his right hand with the left and pushed the key in. Breathing heavily, he turned his wrist and felt the lock open smoothly beneath his hand. He dropped his arm down enough that his fingers were under the door handle and pulled up. It swung open. He blinked several times, and bent down to get in. The black leather seat cradled his body as he pulled his legs inside and closed the door. Feeling slightly calmer, he again put the key up, only now it was nearing the ignition. It slid in easily as well as turned. A glorious purring told him he had started the car. His foot found the gas pedal and he pushed it down slightly, just to hear the noise it produced; making the purr increase- the car went nowhere. He grasped the knob of the shifter and moved it to 'D', and pressed the pedal again. This time it moved forward, and he turned left to point it towards the open door. Looking down at his legs, he was reminded that he still wasn't dressed. He turned off the car, and upon exiting, he ran to the house like an excited little boy. He tore up the stairs and burst into his room. The robe and his boxers dropped to the floor as he rushed into his bathroom, turning on the shower as he jumped in. Five minutes later, he went back to his room, and slid into some clean clothes. Still in a rush, he tied his shoes, grabbed his wallet and mobile phone, and ran back to the barn. His face was flushed as he hopped back into the car, dialling Vincent Crabbe as he went.

After an answer, Draco excitedly said, "Vince, I'm coming over. I've got my dad's car! Ok, I'm on my way…bye." He hit the button to hang-up and tossed the phone onto the passenger's seat. Again, he turned the key in the ignition and started the car. After shifting into drive, he drove slowly out the barn door, getting out to close it behind himself and to press the small button to make the top go down. A little more than half a minute later, he was driving again, now pulling onto the road. The wind began to blow his glossy blond hair back as the tiny car picked up speed. He smiled a carefree smile as he cruised the narrow country road, feeling free as he headed out the twenty-minute drive to the Crabbe house. With every mile he put between the Malfoy Manor and himself, the better he felt, until he finally pulled into the driveway leading up to his friend's home.

Vince, who had been sitting on the steps to the front door, stood up and his jaw dropped. "When the fuck did you dad get this! That's a damn hot car; no offence but I think it's too cool for him."

"I do to. God, I want this car… my father doesn't need four," Draco announced.

"Four? Four Z4's?" Vince said, incredulously.

"No idiot. Four cars as in the BMW, the Mercedes, the Porsche and the Audi." He corrected.

"I didn't know your dad had any cars except for the Audi… lucky."

"Not really, since I'm not even supposed to look at them." Draco said unenthused.

"So what made him let you take it today?"

"He doesn't know."

Crabbe laughed and slapped Draco a high-five. "So, where are we going?"

"We? Going? I just wanted to show you the car… but…No, I really have to get it back, before Father gets home…"

"Come on! You finally break the rules, and then you don't want to be crazy! Oh, by the way- are you coming to Pansy's party on Saturday? Supposedly, she's gotten the key to her parent's wine cellar and they're out of town for the weekend…It's going to be mad, she invited the entire sixth year class, even the Gryffindors!"

"Damn. It sounds like I really shouldn't miss it… listen, I was thinking of taking the car again to get there, since my father wouldn't let me just go. What do you think?"

"Pick me up on your way!" He said happily.

"If I pick you up, I'll have to pick up Greg too… and the Z4 only has two seats!"

"So let's take the Porsche!"

Draco looked unsure, "How about you drive your own car?" He said pointing to a small Civic parked in the grass.

"But I'd be more fun to drive something not a piece of crap! Anyway, I don't have my real license! I'll I've got is that fake-y from last Christmas… remember? I was never more drunk than I was that night…" He trailed off in a chuckle. "And that hooker is Soho; she didn't want to take no for an answer from Greg…"


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't remember, which makes sense, considering I wasn't even there."

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting…"

"Nice." A sarcastic Draco replied. "Well, I'd better be going…" He opened the car door and sat in the leather seat that had gotten considerably warmer from the sun while he stood.

"Bye, then. Hope to see you Saturday."

"Same here. Bye." He started the car, reversed and pulled back onto the road.

With much reluctance, Draco drove straight home and parked the car back in it's appointed spot. After putting the top back up, and making sure everything was as he found it, he locked the door behind him and headed back to the house.

Draco did very little for the rest of the day, besides reading and walking around their property, staying for about an hour at his favourite spot to sit and think- a secluded rock on the edge of their private lake. From there, he could look across the water to a dark and mysterious forest as well as enjoy beautiful fiery red sunsets.

By the time he returned to the house, his mother had arrived back from her shopping.

"Hello Mum. How was your shopping?" He asked, sitting on the couch.

"It was great- I picked up a few ingredients so you can make that steak your father likes… and a couple other things…" She trailed off.

"Great. What time is Father getting home tonight?"

"I don't know. Probably around six, since he cut out the afternoon yesterday to pick you up..." Narcissa informed him, watching his face for a change in expression. There was none.

"So, do you want me to make the steak tonight, or whenever…"

"Not tonight. I'm in the mood for chicken, so you can just hang out- I've got dinner covered." She said, turning and beginning to walk away.

Draco got up and went to his room. Bored, he flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, until he had a thought and went to his desk. Pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill, he began to write a letter to Pansy about her party.

'Dear Pansy,

I heard about your party and I'd love to come. But as you know, my parents (mostly my father) don't want me to do anything I would think is fun- meaning that if I were to ask, they would say no immediately. This is why I'm not asking. I'll see you on Saturday!

Draco

P.S. Watch for my father's BMW, as I will be driving it!'

Satisfied, he sealed it and handed it to Chevéche, who held it with her beak and flew out the open window. By this time, his mother had sent an enchanted message upstairs to tell him dinner was almost ready, and he should be too. He put on another black suit, but with his house tie instead of the red one.

As the week progressed, Draco became more and more nervous about his plans. Along with being anxious, he also became irritable, which had gotten him in trouble a few times already.

It was now five AM Saturday morning, and Draco couldn't sleep anymore. He got up, dressed and quietly went downstairs. Pushing the one of the French doors in the kitchen open, he walked towards the woods in their backyard, beyond the garden. His feet, skimming the neatly trimmed grass picked up the dew and before he'd even made it twenty feet off the patio, were soaking wet. He kept walking despite this uncomfortable fact, and eventually he made it to the woods, where several well-established walking trails wound through the trees. He chose a path, and walked along it for a while.

The sun continued to rise, and by the time he began to head back to the house, it was quite high in the sky. Luckily, his father was around so he assumed he had gone into work again today, and wasn't able to note his absence. His mother was also nowhere to be found, so he began to prepare something for lunch after glancing at the clock and noticing that it was well past twelve.

His mother and father arrived together at about two, carrying several shopping bags, as well as what appeared to be a suit in a bag.

"Hello, Draco. What have you been up to today? I missed you at breakfast…" Narcissa greeted, Lucius listening carefully to hear his son's answer.

"Oh, I woke up early and decided to have a bit of a walk in the forest…What did you do today?"

"Your father and I went shopping- we needed new clothes because we've been invited to Cornelius Fudge's ball tonight. Oh, and we won't be home until probably three or so; we've also been asked to stay for tea and to gossip about the other guests after they leave…" She giggled. Lucius didn't look particularly enthusiastic, but was planning on going because it would be the social event of the season- that only the richest and most powerful families were invited to attend.

"What time are you leaving?"

"Probably about three thirty, so you'll have to have dinner alone. I'd better be off to get ready…" She near-pranced up the stairs, smiling happily as she rounded the corner.

Lucius opened his mouth as if he had something to say, then thought better of it and followed her up, leaving Draco standing in disbelief. It was as if someone wanted him to break the rules and go to that party. He'd have no problem now, as long as the car was back and he was in bed by two-thirty. He smiled and went up the stairs behind his parents.

It was about half-past seven when Draco set out to the barn, keys in hand. Confidently, he jabbed the key into the lock, turned it and flung the door open. The BMW sat poised and ready to go on the end where he had parked it earlier in the week as he turned the lights on. Whistling softly, he opened the door and started the engine, putting it into drive. Less than five minutes later, he was on the road with the radio blaring some Muggle rap music very loudly. The half-hour drive sped by pleasantly, and before he knew it, he was pulling into the driveway of the Parkinson home.

He could hear the music thumping as he got out of the car, locking it behind him. It got steadily louder the closer he got to the door, and by the time he reached the porch, he could feel the vibration of it under his feet. The door was already open, but he stood in the frame for a moment before he entered. Pansy noticed his arrival and made her way through the crowd of people to get to him.

"Hey Draco!" She had to yell over the music. "How's your summer been?" Before he could answer, a boy he had never seen before came up next to Pansy and began to bite her neck.

When she saw the look on his face, she said "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you- we're broken up… I have a new boyfriend…"

Draco didn't particularly care- he was only using her for the snogging in the first place; everyone knew she slept around. He looked around the room with a newfound appreciation for all the girls her saw dancing, flirting and standing around talking. Deciding it would be ok to stand near the drink table, he squeezed through the pulsing crowd of sweaty bodies. Once he arrived at his destination, he picked up an empty glass and filled it from a bottle of champagne he found sitting next to it. Sipping causally, he once again scanned the crowd of people.

There had been a good turnout of people. Most of the sixth-years were here and many people he didn't know, but assumed were friends of the other students. A minute later, a girl who looked so drunk she could hardly stand was hitting on him.

"Wanna dance?" She whispered wetly in his ear.

"Sure," He answered, and she grabbed his hand, dragging him into the mass of people. With every beat, she pressed closer and closer to him, though he didn't seem to mind. For the rest of the song, their bodies ground against one another. When the final beat sounded from the large speakers, Draco excused himself and leaned one elbow on the wall to catch his breath. He watched as the girl went back to a group of females he supposed were her friends, and began talking, using hand gestures and such; when she finished, he saw the whole group break into laughter.

Another techno song played, as he stood alone. 'I wonder where Vince and Greg are? Oh well…' he thought, watching another minimally dressed girl dance with…Potter?

Upon closer inspection, he concluded that yes- it was Harry Potter. 'Great! I didn't know that he'd be here…so much for my night…' He drank heavily for the next hour, leaving him rather tipsy and just standing around the table, occasionally wandering into the kitchen. On once such occasion, he returned his usual spot, only to find a somewhat familiar girl standing in it. His vision blurred as he tried to recall whom it was. He couldn't place the face with a name, but he found her to be quite attractive. He considered asking her to dance when she came up and asked him the very same question.

"Hey, want to dance?" She invited, rather intoxicated.

"Sounds great…" His head pounded from his own voice as he took her around the waist and pressed her against himself as they danced. For several songs they 'danced', and they eventually ended up kissing.

"Why don't we find somewhere more private?" She requested, and he obliged. She led him through the house, pulling him through a door onto a back porch. No one was out here and the warm summer air felt good on their flushed faces. She kicked off her shoes and sat, dangling her feet into the pool. He followed suit and soon they were very preoccupied with each other.

They broke apart for a brief moment to let each other catch their breath. The girl leaned her forehead on his, leaving their faces in close proximity, as well as letting each other smell one another's rancid alcohol-laced breath.

She laughed. "We don't even know each other's names…" He chuckled and she said, "Well, I'm Hermi… and you are?"

"I'm Draco…It's certainly been nice to get to know you…" He told her.

"Well, why don't you get to know me a little better?" She offered, turning her shoulders suggestively. He shifted; trying to move his legs but overbalanced and fell into the pool. He surfaced, his blond hair plastered to his forehead, and his white button-down shirt clinging to his chest and abs.

"Join me?" He asked her, offering his arms out to her.

She braced herself with his arms, and jumped in. He held her close to his chest, and she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. Her shirt clung enticingly to her chest as well- Draco was quick to notice. He pressed his open mouth to hers, and they drifted around in the crisp water as they made out. Some time in the process, Draco's shirt became un-tucked, and the water lifted it slightly in their wake. Hermi noticed this, and stroked his neck as she unbuttoned it. When she had finished, his shirt floated around him, leaving his abdomen exposed. She slid her fingers down his arms lightly, taking the shirt with them.

From behind his back, she threw the shirt onto the deck, where it landed with an inane plop. She stared at his face, batting her eyelashes towards him. He leaned in and kissed each of her eyes, tracing along her eyelid with his tongue- in the process pushing his hands underneath her shirt. She shuddered, and for the first time, he noticed she had a skirt on- and it was floating around her hips. He tensed, and shoved his hands up her back along with the figure-hugging shirt. She raised her arms, allowing him to pull the sleeves off her arms so that now the shirt hung around her neck like an outsized necklace. He gently pulled it over her head and tossed it back to the deck, where it landed on top of his. This caused them both to laugh drunkenly.

Hermi arched her back with a slight moan as his mouth mingled with her neck and shoulders. Her fingers dug into his back as her dropped his mouth lower, into her cleavage. She moved her legs back and forth as an effort to keep herself afloat as more and more of Draco's weight overpowered her. Her thigh made slight contact with an area of him that caused him to jump, and then release a shuddering breath. Her skirt floated even higher from the current she was creating with her legs. He noticed and allowed his hands to reach down and unzip it. He pulled it down for her, and she stepped on it in order to remove it without losing the grip her mouth held on his.

Draco planted his feet apart at the bottom of the pool, and Hermi wrapped her own around his hips, in order to stay closer to him. She was now in just her underwear, while he still remained in his pants. She stuck her foot into the back of them, though she had to bend her knee up by his face, exposing part of her inner thigh to his warm tongue. He enjoyed the taste of the cold water and her warm flesh mixing in his mouth, as she unbuttoned his pants and pushed them to the floor of the pool. His underwear went with them. From above the water, she stared down at his magnified body and let out a noise of delight. Eagerly, she removed her own underwear as he unhooked her bra, and pulled it off with his teeth. Now they were both completely naked, floating together in the water and Draco took the final initiative. The water sloshed around the sides of the pool as they developed a rhythm together.

Once they had finished, Hermi lay on top of him as he floated around, halfway on his back. Her face rested on his smooth chest, warming it with every breath she exhaled. Careful, so he didn't disturb her, Draco glanced over her body to his wristwatch, which lucky for him, happened to be waterproof. The glow-in-the-dark hands pointed to one-fifty three.

"Not to disturb you love, but I really need to get going…" He whispered into her hair. She sat up, to allow him to get out, but a look of disappointment flashed over her face before she replaced it with a sultry pout.

"…Draco, can you tell me your last name…you know, so I can write to you…"

"If you tell me yours."

"Ok, my last name is Granger. Hermione Granger."

"I'm Draco Malfoy."

"See you around, Draco…" She leaned her arms on the edge of the pool.

"Bye Hermione…" He gave her a quick goodbye kiss with some tongue as he pulled on his wet pants and shirt. He was still pretty drunk as he told Pansy it was a great party and opened the door to stumble into the car.

He climbed in behind the steering wheel and started the engine. His head now had a constant pounding, meaning the effects of the heavy alcohol were wearing off; he was slowly sobering up. But as he drove the dark, narrow road he could barely keep control of the small roadster. The car weaved across the centre line every few feet- luckily at the late hour he didn't come across any other drivers.

Draco made it home safely, thankfully before his parents. By the time they arrived, he had staggered up the stairs and managed to put on some dry boxers before he fell into a deep sleep in his bed.

The next day, Draco woke up with a hangover and a nagging feeling about something he did last night. He slowly walked to his bathroom, where he popped a few Advil to clear his mind. Sinking onto the edge of the bathtub he ran his hands through his hair in thought. He then changed positions so his hand supported his chin. The chemical smell of chlorine filled his nostrils, and it sparked a cloudy memory of the night before… he had been in the pool, with a girl named… H, H- something…Hermi? He remembered in a horrible flash- Hermione Granger! He had… with a mudblood! That mudblood! These thoughts did nothing to improve his hangover.

After taking a cold shower and getting dressed, he went downstairs for breakfast. It appeared that his parents were suffering the same 'condition' as himself- they both sat in silence attempting to revive over some steaming coffee. He joined them without a word.

His owl tapped on the window as he prepared to sit down, so he got up and took the letter from her beak. It was from Hermione. He sat down and apprehensively scanned it over.

Dearest Draco,

Last night was a turning point in my life, or should I say yours? Well, anyway it finally happened- you noticed me! AND you actually seem to love (?) me! So, I wanted to tell you that even though you've been rather cruel to me over the years, I've been madly in love with you since the first day I ever laid eyes on your gorgeous blond head. I was also wondering if we could get together again anytime soon- I'd really like to see you- maybe a little more of you too… Even though I was drunk yesterday, everything I said to you was absolutely, 100 true and our time in the pool…brings tears to my eyes, you were so good… Remember my question about getting together sometime…

Love you deeply,

Hermione Granger

He almost gagged on his latte. After excusing himself, he rushed up to his room and began to write a reply.

Dear Ms. Granger,

I DO NOT like, let alone LOVE you in the slightest. I was drunk last night and you know it- if I'd have been sober I wouldn't have gone near you

He paused and read over what he'd written. His anger ebbed as he thought of her reaction causing him to crumple the parchment and toss it into the wastebasket. 'No matter how uh…shocked… I am to get this letter; I can't be mean about it. I mean she just confessed to loving me for six years! I don't think there's anything I can put in it that won't insult her in someway…' He thought, before a sudden inspiration struck him. He picked up his quill and wrote in his handsome cursive-

Dear Hermione,

Instead of putting down how I feel in this letter, I request that you please come to my house so we can discuss the matter. Anytime is good for me- write a date good for you and send it along with my owl.

Sincerely, Draco Malfoy

'Yes, this'll work… It gives me a chance to let her down in a comfortable environment and I'll be able to see her again…' He mentally slapped himself. "What the HELL was that? I don't really like her, do I? Oh god…"

Two weeks later, Draco cast an expectant glance out the window for any sign of Hermione. She had sent back a date and time- though she was already an hour late.

Finally, a small blue Toyota pulled in with a girl Draco had never seen behind the wheel. He watched as the driver's side door opened, then the passenger, and then the back two? 'Who the fuck are all these people she brought?' He thought, preparing to open the door. The doorbell sounded majestically as he swung it open.

"Good afternoon, please come in…" He greeted, then invited.

"Hey Draco!" Hermione rushed up and hugged him, pinning his arms to his sides. When she released him, she introduced all the girls she had brought with her.

"This is Meg…" A girl with short black hair stepped up. "And Hannah…" who had long brown hair and a quidditch button on her shirt. "Finally, this is Abby, or Abigail- whatever you want to call her. Draco stared at the last girl for a moment; he recognised her…from somewhere. Hermione noticed his face and was quick to step in.

"You probably saw Abby at Pansy's party… I brought her so I'd have someone to talk to… but then I found you…" She smiled shyly at him. Draco was in disbelief.

"Abigail… did we by any chance, dance together…" He questioned.

"Well, I remember dancing with a really hot guy… might have been you; why don't we dance right now and find out?" She came onto him. Draco couldn't believe his luck, or lack thereof- the two people he had any social relations with at that damn party were tied to Hermione Granger or else they were her…

"Well, why don' t we all sit down? Anyone want anything to eat? Drink?" The girls all sat on the cushy couches in the living room while Draco sat stiffly in a huge recliner. The girls had all sat next to each other, and every now and then let out an occasional whisper; this made Draco uncomfortable- being the only male in the house.

He took a breath and faltered. "Hermione, I was really hoping I could talk to you in private…" He said quietly, causing Abby to raise her eyebrows and whisper to Hannah. Hannah exclaimed "Abigail!" and pretended not to look at her.

"Ok, so these guys can just wait here?" Hermione asked standing up, and walking over to him.

"Yeah, they can make themselves comfortable. The kitchen is that way and the bathroom's right over there." He pointed out the locations and led Hermione out of the room.

"Ok, Hermione… this is the deal…" He looked into her eyes, and again he had to collect his thoughts before continuing. "This is definitely going to be hard, Hermione is … uh, quite attractive… when her friends aren't around…" He pulled on the neck of his shirt discreetly, which seemed to have tightened in the few seconds he had of thought. He began again, "You are very…" he couldn't help himself, "beautiful. I really like you too, but…your friends…" He broke off, as her face softened. "If we were ever to have something together… your friends would have to go…"

"You think I'm beautiful?" Her eyes grew misty, as she completely missed the part about her friends. "I thought you'd say you hated me…you were really drunk that night…" He snapped out of his hypnotic mood, but was immediately captured by her eyes again.

"What about Potter and the Weasel? Aren't you all buddy-buddy with them?" He asked rudely.

"Yeah, Harry's cool, but Ron's been such an ass. All the time lately. I have my girlfriends now- I don't need two guy friends. Just one boyfriend…" Again, she smiled sweetly.

He sighed, and pursed his lips. "I don't know…I guess I do like you, but… I'm going to regret it- you are a mudbl…muggleborn, and you know how my father feels about non-purebloods."

"And you're going to let your father decide this one for you too? I thought you were like a rebel- I heard about the car you took from him…so I assumed I might as well make a move since you finally decided your father is nothing more than a damn prick! I guess I was wrong…" She turned away, pretending to look upset- once her face was out of his sight she smiled slyly.

"No! You're right! He is making me decide against you! You know what- let's go out tonight! You can even stay the night if you want…that fucking bastard. I hate him."

"Aww, Draco; you made the right choice. I'm all yours now… just forget your father, and think of me…"

"So, where do you want to go tonight…?" He thought for a moment, before adding, "baby?" He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back into the living room.

"Let's go to London! I've always wanted to go clubbing there!"

"You got it, my sweet little baby girl! London it is!" He said, tickling her chin.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, we'd better be off- oh! I'll have Meg's mum drive me over and we can take the car, she can Apparate back, then we can cuddle in the back…" Hermione kissed his cheek, and led her friends out.

Draco smiled smugly to himself. It would be easier now, since he would have her in his house- his father could get Potter, and that BMW would be his.

His father had always hated the whole Potter family; even more so when little baby Harry led to the demise of Lord Voldemort. Ever since Draco was little, he could remember the plots Lucius came up with to eliminate Harry, and the many hateful words of the boy exchanged in their household. So, naturally when Draco went to Hogwarts he carried on the messages he received at home- building up a healthy loathing in the process. Before long, Draco hated his classmate more than his father did, and would often join in the long, thought-out discussions held with other death-eaters in their meeting hall. Now that he had a near-direct connection with Potter, it would be piece of cake to collect information about him and lead to his murder, and on the plus side, if he presented the information to his father with a price, that car would be his or… he might be tortured into telling. But, the planning of Harry's death was one of the few things that Draco bonded with his father during, and they usually agreed with each other.

"I've really been over thinking this- it's not about me and if I'll enjoy snogging that mudblood, it's about killing that son of a bitch Potter! I can't believe I actually was thinking of myself over him- father will be pleased though…" He thought vindictively.

Draco dressed up and waited for Hermione and her friend's mum to show up later that night. His mother noticed him peering out the heavy drapes.

"Why do you keep looking outside sweetie? Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, I have a date tonight. Don't worry- I'll be home before morning…"

"You didn't tell me before you scheduled anything…"

"I'm not five, mum. I can decide things for myself." Draco sighed in relief as the same blue Toyota he'd seen that afternoon pulled up the driveway. "Well, bye." He started to open the door but Narcissa held him back.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to her?"

"Yes Draco, I'd like to meet her also." Lucius stood behind his wife, with an 'I'm not kidding look'.

"Fine, come outside with me." They followed behind him. "This is Hermione, Hermione these are my parents." She had on a short dress, with stiletto heels, which seemed to be getting stuck in their lawn.

"Nice to meet you, Hermione dear." Narcissa shook her hand.

"You seem to be a rather…nice…young lady…" Lucius said with difficulty, also with pain as Narcissa had stepped on his foot.

"Let's get going Hermi." He turned towards the car without saying goodbye to his parents. Hermione clutched his shoulder and pressed her hip to his as they walked- Lucius had apparently apparated back to the house since he was now nowhere to be found.

They both climbed into the cramped car, Hermione in the passenger seat, Draco driving. A minute later, he tore down the driveway and pulled onto the road doing about forty.

After a short while, due mostly to the fact that he was driving so fast, they arrived in London and he turned quickly into a parking spot cutting off another car who had been waiting. The car honked angrily so Draco turned around and flipped it off. Hermione watched, puzzled, before taking his arm and allowing him to lead her in.

Dinner went ok, and shortly after Draco drove them to a small club in a richer part of the city. Hermione was tipsy, again, from the champagne at dinner, and toddled in as Draco flashed an ID at the bouncer.

Once inside, Hermione almost literally dragged him to the dance floor, and began to dance like they did at Pansy's party. Draco was enjoying it, as was she, but he didn't think he'd be able to 'hold back' much longer- mudblood or not, she was enough to make any man… Especially with her slinky dress and sexy movements.

He felt his face flush and a wave of heat envelope his body, a pretty big warning sign. Also, since he was rather on the buzzed side as well, he knew he didn't have full control over himself. Taking an effort of stem some of his desire, he pressed his hot tongue into her neck, roaming around as she tilted her head backwards.

As they fooled around, the song changed and "Shake Ya Ass" by Mystikal blared out the speakers. Unfortunately for aching Draco, Hermione did just that- into a more sensitive area of his body, causing sweat to bead on his forehead. A quick glance at

his wristwatch showed that is wasn't too late yet, but he knew he couldn't take it anymore.

Wetly, he whispered into her ear, "Hermi, let's go back to my place…" He hadn't planned on doing anything with her at the time but that was before they arrived back in the car and Hermione reached across the seat to stroke the hardened bulge now making an appearance on the front of Draco's pants. He shut his eyes, took a breath and began to drive home.

Thought he wasn't pleased with the fact of her being a mudblood, he did need to earn her trust if this was going to work. So, he figured he might kill two birds with one stone by taking her home and shagging her.

"Sex is so important to females- they seem to think it symbolises love, among other things. To males…" Draco thought, "it's just another notch in the old belt. Another story to brag about." Draco had a few stories to spread around about himself- including one about his father pushing an older woman prostitute to him for a secret present on his fifteenth birthday. He couldn't say it was a horrible experience- it did teach him how to pleasure his partner if he so chose and was quite pleasant to him, for the first time. His father had said if he thanked him for nothing else, this should be the one thing. Now, slightly more than a year later, he'd been with Ginny Weasley (as a dare), Pansy and Hermione. He had enjoyed his pool experience greatly and the most of them all, before he found out it had been her. His father knew of none of these, though Draco suspected he'd be more proud than angry.

The car spun into the driveway of the Malfoy Manor, and Draco was getting out- even before the engine died. Hermione clung to him like Velcro. He didn't mind, though he did she her look as if 'something' had touched her. But she wasn't stupid and neither was he. She knew what is was and what she wanted; so did he.

They made their way quickly to the front door, making sure to be quiet enough as to not draw the attention of his parents. The heat in his pants grew more unbearable each step they climbed of the now seemingly mountainous staircase.

Hermione was also rather hot in her clothes, the feeling of Draco's hard manliness had made her light-headed and ready to surrender to him without a fight. Oh, but she would fight and struggle the way she'd read about in a sex book her friend had bought her a year or so ago. Everyone thought she was such a bookworm- they were right but they had no idea what she was reading about… More than once she had fantasised about the perfect night with Draco, drinks in the moonlight in crisp autumn air- that wasn't of course what had happened tonight but it was close enough. The fantasies always ended up in the bedroom, and that was where they were going now. "Do his parents not care? Their son is about to fuck a girl, me," She thought, delighted, "right under their pale noses …" That night in the pool had been bliss, the water sloshing like a living metaphor- the waves of passion, welling into an unbearable depth, that first cold plunge into it. Her eyes rolled at the very thought of it.

Finally, they reached the top of the stairs, again creating another kind of metaphor. Her led her down the wide hallway, taking several turns before swinging open a heavy wooden door and revealing his room.

Her eyes glided over the various forms in the room, pausing on the king-sized bed with its green and black silk sheets. His bathroom was on her left, and one of the only times that night, she left his side to slip in. He watched her go before sinking into a black leather chair to pull off his shoes. By the time he had finished, so had Hermione, who appeared in the bathroom door, resting on the frame in the way that has grown to be so cliché. A hungry growl escaped from low in his throat sending shivers down her back. He blinked and raised his arms to meet her warm body. They touched about halfway to the bed, but quickly fell back into the cool sheets, nearly gagging each other with their ferocious tongue war.

They carried on like this for a bit, Draco stiffening further and throbbing painfully. Hermione sensed his agony and did everything in her power to increase it. He trembled at her light touch, which changed to her piercing his back with her fingernails when her decided to reach up her dress to stroke her hotness with several of his fingers. The pain on his back and the warm trickle of his own blood caused him to jab her hardly with his hand in pleasure.

He fumbled with the zipper of her dress, finally pulling it down and allowing her body to spill forward underneath him. Her black lingerie tantalised him, so in retaliation to him, she pulled his shirt open in a spray of buttons and opened his pants, freeing 'the beast within'. Only the silken layer of his boxers kept him from her, though she saw the fabric clung wetly due to a mixture of sweat and milky liquid coming from inside him.

Now they were two pale bodies, remaining in just their black underwear. Hermione pushed him over and mounted him, rather like a horse, though he was on his back. Slow and laboriously she rocked back and forth over him, from his chin to his mid-thighs. Huge tremors wracked his body; jolting her around even more- she couldn't hold back a yelp of ecstasy. Draco took advantage of her moment of weakness to flip her onto her back and lick her stomach, moving in a generally downward direction.

As they both viciously expressed their passion, Lucius Malfoy pressed his ear to the door, listening to the sound of their love. He smiled a half-proud smile and proceeded back to his own bedroom. Narcissa saw his change of expression and asked about it.

"What are you smiling about?" She tipped forwards to hear the answer.

"Our son is fucking that girl he went on the date with. Right now, in his bedroom."

"What!"

"You heard me. Though he'd better not get her pregnant- the Malfoy line isn't ready to be continued yet."

"My little boy is…doing… that? But he's not like that- is he? He's still a virgin!"

"Not since he was fifteen…" He said with a chuckle.

"What're you on about?"

"I got Draco a whore for his fifteenth birthday, you know- so he'd know the ropes and all that…my father did the same for me…of course, they don't know all today as they did back then…"

Narcissa stared his disbelief at her husband, as her head spun with his words. Her son wasn't the innocent virgin she believed him to be- he had already done at least one woman and was doing another right now. She had to stop him. Standing up, she headed towards the door.

"Where are you going, love?"

"To go discipline our out-of-control son!"

"No, you're not." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes…" She didn't finish her sentence, because Lucius had placed her under the Imperious Curse. He now summoned her back to bed.

Down the hall, Draco and Hermione's lovemaking continued. By now they were almost done and with one final penetration, he sent forth his seed, which was stopped by the thin rubber sheath encasing him. The capsule of warmth created between them dissipated as their activity slowed, and soon they were both shivering. Draco, who was completely naked, except for the aforementioned condom stood up and pulled it off as well. Hermione also got up, though she covered herself fully with the blankets of his bed- he joined her a few moments later, after cleaning himself up a bit. He remained naked, much to Hermi's delight as the sheets skimmed his ashen skin.

The next morning, sunlight streamed onto Draco's face. He tried to sit up, and remembered the busy night he had had as he looked over the sleeping form of Hermione. She woke up too, and they spent the better part of twenty minutes snogging heavily. When he finally managed to get out of bed and into the shower, she followed closely behind. Again, they engaged themselves with each other as the steamy water pounded wet tattoos into their bare flesh, though Draco stopped them due to the fact he didn't want to get her "in the family way". Fortunately for him, he was not drunk and had control of himself, so his desire to enter her wasn't physically obvious.

She put on the same dress from the night before to go down to breakfast in, while he slipped on clean clothes. He took a shaky breath, nervous of his father's reaction as he took her downstairs to breakfast. It was definitely not what he expected.

His mother appeared to have been crying and was drinking tea, sighing angrily. His father, who was not one to mess around with in the morning, was sitting very relaxed and whistling softy as he read the newspaper. Something was different, so he kept quiet as he served Hermione a scone and an espresso. From the corner of his eye, he saw his father glance at Hermione, and then turn back to his news, now tapping the beat with his foot to the song he was whistling. 'Oh god, he knows!' Was the first though he had, but when no anger clouded his father's face, he realised he must not care. It was a turning point in his life- he had tested the boundaries of his father's respect and gained more from him.

Several times a day, Hermione and Draco would slip away to play out their feelings and by the end of the first week, they had had sex in almost every imaginable location of the Malfoy property. She had sort-of unofficially moved in- sleeping in Draco's bed and had his owl pick up clothes for her to wear from her house. Meg's mug, who had to drive to work everyday, had reclaimed the borrowed car two days after the date. Hermione had now been living with him for the past few weeks, as much as Narcissa hated the idea of it. Lucius was extremely proud for once, and had actually clapped his son's shoulder in happiness a few days ago.

One day, Draco had blindly felt around in his top drawer for a condom and was pleasantly surprised to find none. He had no choice but to ask his father. In mock disappointment, he told Hermione, but in reality he was quite pleased. Now would be his chance to tell Lucius of his plan about Harry. He figured it would be a perfect plan, to pique his interest with talk of sex, which seemed to make him proud, then to tell him about the could-be murder of the Potter brat, finally mentioning the reward. That car would be his.

The door opened to the large, dimly lit office. Behind a huge wooden desk, sat the senior Malfoy male, rather Godfather-like. He turned at the rustle of movement.

"Father," Draco said, waiting to be addressed.

"Yes?"

"I know you know about what Hermione and I have been doing, since it's quite obvious…"

"Yes, and?"

"Would you happen to have any… uh, condoms? You know, for Hermione and me, I don't want her knocked up…"

"I suppose, have you used all the ones from your drawer?"

"How'd you know? I bought those in Hogsmeade… and I've been hiding them…"

"I just know. But, yes I have some you can have."

"Also, just before I go, I want to tell you about why I'm even doing anything with this girl. She's friends with Potter." Lucius' interest, which had been nearly absent before was now picking up. "…And I thought maybe we could get some information from her… you know, so we can finally make the kill…Well, anyway, I've been working on gaining her trust, which goes back to the condom thing…"

"There's a death eater meeting tonight. Prepare your plan further, and you will present it to the group. Be ready to leave at seven." Lucius threw a box at Draco before turning in his chair. Draco left quickly, with a feeling like he hadn't felt since he was very young. He'd had a conversation with his father, and there were faint shreds of pride in Lucius' voice. Draco had done something right, and must finish through with it.

When he got back to his room, his head was full of thoughts. Hermione pounced on him upon his arrival, taking the box and pulling one of its contents out for him.

"Let's go Draco… I want you in me so bad…" A seductive look was on her face, making him want to give in, but he glanced away, thinking better of it.

"No Hermione. I need to do something this afternoon and tonight. And that something is not you…couldn't you go shopping with my mum or something?"

"I'll leave if you want me too, but I'd really rather stay…"

"Thanks, close the door on your way out." He said, sounding remarkably like his father.

By the time seven 'o'clock rolled around, his plan had been finalised. His father waited at the bottom of the stairs as Draco descended them in his most expensive suit. His father nodded his head to acknowledge his presence and they headed out to the garage to take the Audi.

Hermione was pissed about Draco becoming so ungrateful in such a short amount of time. Just when she thought he could be falling in love with her, he turned around and acted like a total bastard. 'Well,' She thought, 'Maybe this won't be bad after all- I could find out some adorable baby stuff about Draco… and catch up on the latest gossip with his mum…'

Aimlessly wandering, she kept her eyes peeled for any signs of movement. Finally, as she roamed around downstairs, she spotted Narcissa sitting in the kitchen, reading the newspaper.

"Hello!" Hermione said brightly.

"Hi," Narcissa responded quietly. "How've you…been?" Of course she knew how'd she'd been- fucked up by her son.

"I'm ok… your house is really nice. Thanks for letting me stay!" She thanked, trying to strike up a conversation as she seated herself across from Draco's mum.

"You're welcome. It certainly is a change to have another woman in the house. It gets very lonely being the only one here with estrogen!"

Hermione chuckled. "It's weird for me too… at my house we don't have any testosterone…" They both laughed politely, before Narcissa offered her a cup of coffee.

Five minutes later, they were chatting quite a bit, over two steaming espressos. Somehow, the conversation topic turned to Draco.

"He's really a good boy… but his father has such an influence. Lately, he's been acting more and more like him." Narcissa shook her head.

"Yeah. He's nice, but he can be kind of…" She faded. "…On the plus side- he kisses good!"

"Really? Do tell!"

"He's just so… sturdy. Know what I mean? When you hug him, it's like solid. And then when he puts his mouth on yours…" She trailed off, smiling in memories.

"What else?"

"Most of the time, the kiss deepens, and you get to feel his hands touch you… and rub my back… It makes me dizzy, even to think about it…"

Narcissa smiled slightly, and leaned her chin on her hand. "So my son is a real charmer then… When I first kissed his father, he was so rough…"

"Oh Draco can be rough too. Like the other night, he looked really like…sultry. So I can up behind him in like a sneak attack, and he grabbed me…Ooo…" She closed her eyes and sighed. Narcissa took a sip of coffee and listened expectantly.

Hermione saw the expression on her face and decided she couldn't beat around the bush any longer. "He's good in bed too."

"Oh really? Thank his father for that one. Getting a fifteen-year-old boy a whore for his birthday…"

"Well, uh," That statement surprised her, but Narcissa looked like she wanted her to go on. "He acts so different… he's assertive, but careful. Loving, but he has a maniac side as well. I…well, wasn't a virgin when we… in the pool…at the party… and what I'm saying is that he, Draco, is way better then…uh, the other guys…"

"Party? What party?"

"A couple of weeks ago. At Pansy Parkinson's house- he was drunk and we…er, got busy in the pool…"

"I didn't hear about any party, maybe I'll have to ask him later…Well anyways… it's nice to hear such…kind things about my little boy. I have one burning question though- so you use protection? I'm not quite ready for a grandchild yet…"

"Always. I might be living at your house and sleeping with your son, but I'm not stupid…"

Draco cleared his throat nervously. This was quite a large gathering of death eaters, and he had to stand up in front of them all… His stomach gave an uneasy lurch, and it took all he had to keep from vomiting up his dinner. It was different when he was bullying someone… it was like a private performance… but in front of all of these people who were liable to kill him if there was a mistake once they had acted upon the plan…He squeezed his eyes shut and took a few shaking breaths, stepping out onto the stage and up to the podium.

The silence, which had been present for every other speaker, seemed magnified in Draco's ears to an almost unbearable level of ringing and buzzing. He began to speak, shakily at first but gaining strength as calls of "Yeah!" and "Kill Potter!" sounded from the audience. By the time he had finished, he wore a malicious smile and gave a slight wave as he walked off the stage. An hour or so later, his father came up behind him and told him that they should be leaving.

The atmosphere of the Audi had changed as they climbed in. No longer was it dark and cold- now a warm feeling of accomplishment hung in the air above them. They drove for a moment before Lucius began to speak.

"Your plan was well-thought out… and had a good backing."

"Thank you sir."

"Keep up with your idea; I have a feeling this could be the plan to work…"

These words took a moment to 'sink in'. Once they did, a smile began to tweak the corners of Draco's mouth. This, from his father; it was the closest thing he'd had to a compliment from his him since he was three. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get home and screw the mudblood.

His joy was short-lived, for as soon as his thoughts turned to Hermione, a nagging feeling poked at his brain. 'Why should she have to be the ass that would tell them everything? What did she ever do to me? Or any of the death eaters? She was just a clueless mudblood out for a good fuck… and she was good…mmmm…' His thoughts trailed off as the car sped along the motorway. They arrived home at about eleven, and Draco eagerly climbed the front steps to go into the large house. When he was inside, his mother and Hermione both walked out together from the kitchen. They looked at each other and giggled, after seeing the look on his face.

"What?" He asked them, not really expecting an answer.

They giggled again, and he rolled his eyes. Taking Hermione by the arm, he pulled her close and let his warm breath tickle her neck. She shot a look over his shoulder at Narcissa, who smiled back.

In the kitchen, they had continued talking about Draco and his sex life, eventually placing bets on what he would do when he got home. Hermione was winning so far: she had said that he would take her upstairs immediately, while Narcissa said he'd flirt more beforehand. Draco, who didn't have a clue about any of this, was about to make Hermione £50 (about 87.50) richer as he nearly dragged her up the stairs. Narcissa watched from the bottom, actually quite shocked- she'd never seen her son act like that.


	4. Chapter 4

A wave of heat flushed Draco's body as he opened his bedroom door.

When they had finished, Hermione wrapped her legs around his hips as they lightly dozed, eventually falling fully asleep. A few hours later, Draco woke up from a violently real nightmare, in which a group of death eaters had been torturing Hermi. He took a few breaths to calm himself, then snapped back to his senses. 'Why the hell should I care if they want to kill this mudblood whore?' But a feeling in the back of his head told him different. He didn't want to see her hurt…but why? He hated any non-purebloods, or stupid fucking idiot wizards like the Weasleys who couldn't get their act together. He blocked all these thoughts from his head before he gave any of them too much thought.

The next morning, Hermione woke him up unexpectedly. She was making loud noises as she packed a small duffel bag, with the various clothes she had from her house.

"Where are you going?" He asked groggily.

"My mum wants me to come home- she's wicked pissed that I've haven't been home for like a month…"

"Oh," He thought in disappointment ('Why the hell do I keep thinking shit like this?')

She kissed him goodbye, and leaned in for a hug. What he got was an ample view of her cleavage- he was thankful for being underneath the blankets.

A few days went by, and Draco felt like he was going mad. Being alone in his huge house was beginning to get to him, so one day he got out a quill and parchment and wrote to Hermione.

Dear Hermi,

I know you're probably sick of me after living with me for a few weeks, but I was wondering if you wanted to get together again sometime? Maybe we can have a picnic or something? Write back soon.

Love, Draco

He had signed it 'love' but why? 'Honestly, what I becoming? Does this girl have some hold on my mind?' What Draco didn't understand is that he was falling for her- something he had never experienced. Pansy was a fun fling-type thing, not serious. Ginny Weasley was a dare of course- he normally wouldn't touch her with a ten-metre broomstick, but with a thousand pounds (about 1750) on the line from Greg Goyle…

Surprisingly, he got a reply note from her that night as he stared blindly from his room across the Malfoy grounds. He grabbed it from his owl eagerly.

Dear Draco,

I would absolutely LOVE to go out again… It was so hot when I lived at your house, why would I be sick of you? Anyway… want to go out tomorrow night? I'll bring extra clothes this time so I don't have to send your cute little owl.

Love always,

Hermione XOXO

'What the… so now she takes my invitation for a date to mean she's moving in again?' His mind said, but something else made him feel pleased about it. He pounded his forehead in anger, now being thoroughly annoyed about these unwanted thoughts.

He wrote back and the next day, Hermione rode up in the passenger seat of Meg's car. Tonight, she carried a small suitcase (like she said she would) and wore a red wisp of a dress- resembling a tango dancer, complete with red vinyl stilettos. Her hair hung enticingly from a messy bun/ponytail type thing onto her neck, contrasting the rich chestnut to a dewy white. He smiled elatedly as he admitted her to his home.

"Hi Draco," She said quietly, attempting to sound shy. It was driving him absolutely batty, though not in the annoyed sort of way… He offered her a drink as he sat on the couch for a bit. She politely declined and sat a few inches away. He didn't know what was up with this mock shyness, but it was turning him on in a major way. He wigged slightly closer to her, until their thighs touched. She glanced at him with a small smile.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Mmm-Hmm, you're driving again, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so… Want to go dancing?" He offered.

"Ok," She obliged and stood up, smoothing her dress as she waited for him.

The both climbed into the car, and Hermione resumed her shy act again. He glanced over at her every few seconds, just to see her face. With a start, he remembered about the Potter plan, and began to ask about him to gather information.

"So…uh, do you and Pott…I mean Harry ever hang out?"

"Not really anymore… we sat together on the way home from school in June, but we didn't really have anything to talk about…"

"What did you used to talk about?" He queried curiously.

"When we were 'the trio' we talked about whatever was going on- like the Triwizard Tournament in fourth year… then when Ron left, we talked more personally- like our problems, not someone else's."

"Mmmm," He nodded, listening keenly.

"I think he needs to see some help… he's always having nightmares about his parents or Sirius…"

"Sirius…?"

"Black. He was Harry's godfather and he used to talk to him all the time… he was also in the ord…never mind. But he got killed in fifth year during the whole death-eaters-in-the-department-of-mysteries thing. Your father was there, wasn't he?"

"Uh, yeah. If the fact that he's a death eater makes you uncomfortable, I'll just say that I don't agree with him." He lied, keeping a perfectly concerned expression on his face.

"That's good. But to tell you the truth, I had completely forgotten the side your family was on- I was too lost in you..." She smiled and rested her hand on his leg. "I don't care about your father, I care about you…" She leaned over for a kiss, causing Draco to swerve over the centre line. His thoughts were elsewhere, so he ignored her advances.

"Sirius Black. He escaped from Azkaban…He's Harry's godfather? I only knew that he was my mum's cousin…"

"Wow. Really?"

"Yeah, but Mum didn't associate with that side of the family. She married Father, end of story."

They pulled up to a small restaurant south of London, and Draco helped her climb out. She thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. He was in quite a cheerful mood- due to the fact that he now had information to report to his Father, and Hermione was completely oblivious. After they were seated and had ordered, he excused himself from the table and went to the bathroom to phone his father.

"Father- I've gotten some useful information on Potter from Herm- I mean the mudblood… it seems as though he has nightmares every night about his parents and Sirius Black." Draco told his father, through his small mobile phone, "Also, she told me he's uncomfortable talking about the death of Cedric Diggory, from fourth year… and here's the big thing… he lives in Little Whinging- in Surrey, during the summer."

He heard Lucius draw a breath excitedly. "Excellent, truly magnificent- either when you get home or tomorrow morning come and see me, I'd like to have a word with you…" The phone clicked as he hung up. Draco flipped his phone closed, checked himself in the mirror and went back to the expectant Hermione. This time it was he who initiated the kissing which kept them occupied until their food arrived. Before the realised it, they had kept the waiter waiting to put down their plates for a good five minutes.

A small Latin quartet was playing live tonight, and once they had finished their dinner, they went out onto the floor to dance. Hermione, whose attire suited the occasion perfectly, also got the chance to show that she had apparently had dance lessons. Before the night was through, she out danced all of the other women there. It was all Draco could do to keep up with her; luckily he had had lessons too at his mother's encouragement when he was very much younger. Together, they tangoed so closely a hair could hardly have passed between them, and during the faster-tempo songs danced so enthusiastically that other couples cleared the way for them.

After tiring themselves out (at least for the moment), they decided to drive around for a bit before heading home. This of course was Draco's idea, he wanted to find out where the house was Potter stayed at- he wasn't stupid, that's why he brought her south of London rather than the centre, where all his favourite restaurants were. Half-drunk and tired, she gave directions without even knowing what she was saying. Finally, she pointed out a quiet little street, onto which he turned with one quick flash of his turn signal.

The sign read 'Privet Drive' and she said it was number four. At once, he saw the house number on the side of the brick. A light was on upstairs and a figure was standing in the window. It was Potter, and Draco could have sworn he looked right into the car before walking away. He drove off before he came back.

It was late when they got back to the Manor, but Draco didn't see why they couldn't just make it a full night though they were both pretty tired already. He could have lived without the sex that night, but why he did it was mostly to get his mind off of other things, like Potter in the window. Hermione at least enjoyed it, but Draco was basically numb from the events before. Afterwards, she fell asleep almost immediately, though it took him a considerably longer time- partially due to the fact she was sleeping on his arm and he couldn't move it.

It seemed as though he'd only closed his eyes when Hermione began to stir next to him and sunlight flooded the windows. He sat up and rubbed the dark circles that had formed overnight under his cool grey eyes. She kneeled over his hips and rolled her shoulders towards him. He flopped back against the pillows and she stretched out fully on top of him, though her legs remained on either side of him. She attempted to kiss him, but he turned to the side in protest.

She screwed her face into a pout, "Draco…"

"I'm tired, can I just get showered and dressed alone? I'm not in the mood…"

"Fine." She said brusquely and stood up.

He watched her leaving with a sour expression on his face before heading into the bathroom. After stripping down and climbing in to cold shower, he glanced himself in a small mirror hung from the showerhead. There were some vivid red bite (?) marks on his neck and chest. His hand traced around the mouth shape absentmindedly, wondering if Hermione had done this last night. Waking up slightly from the frozen water, he washed up and stepped out a few moments later. He slipped into a clean pair of boxers and stood in front of the bathroom counter. Hermione returned as he began shaving and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Like the marks I left you? They look like they hurt… didn't you feel it last night?"

"Yeah, it uh, felt good…" He lied, wishing she would go away, although he didn't mind the way her abdomen rested on his back. As he splashed on some aftershave, he saw a marked change in her expression; a hungry look possessed her eyes.

"Oh Draco…mmm…" Her eyes rolled back as her eyelids closed over the shining brown orbs. She went partially limp, using her arms around his neck to hold herself up.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" He was totally clueless. It appeared as though she was aroused, but how, he wondered. One of her legs found its way up, and she straddled him, pushing him against the counter. Her heated breath warmed his neck as she nibbled his ear.

"Uh, Hermione? What's up?" he repeated.

"…Ooooh… you smell so goddamn good… oh, Draco…" Again she roughly pushed him, rubbing herself onto his boxers. His breathing increased as her rising and falling chest pressed on his abs, causing a slight twitch under the silken fabric of his underwear. She squashed her bosom onto him, and he glanced down into her shirt. She noticed the direction of his eyes, and ripped her shirt off immediately. A definite flush of heat engulfed him, making him want to take her right there on the bathroom floor. But he didn't- in favour of accepting her advances. She grabbed his face and began to kiss him voraciously, which he did back willingly. As they did this, Hermione brought her knees up to rest on the counter behind him, leaving her hot area just above the waistband of his boxers. Somehow, after several intense moments she dropped to the floor, panting heavily. Resting on all fours, she looked up at him before pulling down his underwear, leaving them at his ankles. Holding onto his hips, she smashed her face into the warm flesh of his manhood. He clutched at the counter, quite shocked but not displeased.

The short, curly blond hair tickled Hermione's nose as she moved her face in and out over him, swirling her tongue around him. As soon as she began this, he became hardened, filling her mouth fully. He tipped his head back in sexual agony as she continued to suck on him. Finally, a bit later, as he became closer to coming, she bit down slightly several times, causing a mix of pain, mingling with extreme pleasure for him. All at once, she felt him contract several times and her mouth dripped with the milky substance of him. She removed herself from him and stood up to look him in the eyes.

A small drop of the white fluid dripped from the corner of her mouth. He glimpsed at it, blinking several times in pleasure as her tongue slowly came out and licked it carefully. Draco couldn't hold a moan in, and she devilishly smiled.

"Wow…" This was the only thing he could say.

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs," She said, grabbing her shirt and nearly bouncing happily out of the room.

Respect for Hermione and that mouth of hers, caused him to dress quickly after cleaning up again. He eagerly bounded down the staircase, and found her waiting on a couch.

"Hey," He sat down next to her.

"Hi. So what was up this morning? Why were you so grumpy when you woke up?" She asked, rather like she was talking to a child.

He simply loved the way her personality could change so rapidly. One moment she was a sleazy, sexy seductress; the next, a perfect lady. He was really beginning to like having her around the house. 'I can't believe I just admitted that to myself!' He thought. 'But it's true…' his mind added.

"Uh, I was just very tired… I didn't really sleep well last night."

"Oh… I can see why…" Oh, but she couldn't. She had no idea about the ideas churning around in his head- plans plotting to kill one of her friends.

"Father, I drove by the house yesterday. It was a Muggle home and obviously, for that reason, it had minimal security." Draco explained to his father.

"As I would have assumed. However, how are things going with the girl?"

"Excellent. I'm led to believe she enjoys living here and this morning, she went mental over my aftershave, because she said I smelled good…"

"So you two are having frequent sexual relations?"

"Yes."

Lucius considered his son for a moment. "When do you think you can get more information?"

"Want me to try tonight? I can take her out again…" offered Draco.

"If you feel it'll be productive."

"Perhaps…If I had something to drive…"

"If you're suggesting my cars… for one- you have no license…"

Draco plunged his hand into his pocket, withdrawing his wallet. Flipping it open, he pulled out the laminated document and tossed it onto the desk in front of the senior Malfoy.

"When…" Lucius began.

"Mum took me…and paid off the instructor to overlook my age…"

"In that case… I will allow you to drive…" He thought, deciding which one of his precious cars he could part with for the night. "…The Mercedes. But remember, it had better be returned as I gave it to you, or you'll end up with the same fate as Potter."

Somehow, mostly because he kept reminding himself the threat was legitimate, he managed to keep a straight face. As soon as he was out of his father's sight, he jumped up happily and punched his fist in the air. It was the first time his father had ever allowed such a thing. Hermione, who didn't know what was going on, was surprised when he found her in the hall, picked her up and spun her around in a hug.

"Oh Hermione, I love you!" he exclaimed, too caught up in the moment to realise what he was saying.

She smiled fainted and replied, "I love you too."

That night, Draco walked out to the barn/garage like he had springs on his feet. Hermione's eyes dazzled from the headlights of the expensive SUV as he pulled it up in the driveway.

"Wow!" She exclaimed as she climbed into the passenger's seat.

"It's really lucky my father let me take it. He's never even let me touch them before."

"So why's he letting you tonight?" She asked curiously.

"Because of you…He thinks we really do have a charm together; he probably wants us to get married…" He lied.

Hermione slipped into a thoughtful silence, no doubt pondering Draco's untruthful statement. He almost wanted to come out tell her about the lie, but restrained himself. He flipped on the radio and turned it up until the bass thudded loudly throughout the many speakers. Hermione danced slightly to the music- as much as the seatbelt allowed. The seatbelt, Draco noticed, chafed the exposed top half of her breasts in a very… he swallowed… 'Nice fashion… Why the fucking bloody hell do I have to keep thinking stuff like that?' he though, slightly disappointed in himself, until brief memories of the pool and the bathroom incidents flashed in front of his eyes. 'Oh yeah, that's why…'

Tonight, he took her to a more suburban area, near a beautiful lake, popular for the large carp it produced. A few times, before he was in school he had come down here with his mother, who was more interested in visiting with her friends than he was, and splashed around the shallow parts. He had watched other small boys fishing with their fathers and had felt twinges of envy, as they reeled in huge fish. Draco had of course been fishing in the lake on their property, but it wasn't the same as if his father would have gone with him.

As they had done for the past few dates, they ate and danced a little. Before long, Draco led her out of the building and back to the car. She thought he was going to do her in the backseat, but instead he drove them to the edge of the lake, where he got out and pulled a blanket out from the back. He spread it on the grass and Hermione sat down. Her face was bathed in moonlight as she stared across the water. She looked over when Draco sat down next to her, the light of the moon reflecting on his glossy bland hair.

"Oh Draco, it's lovely, just like you…" She clutched his upper arm and leaned on his shoulder. He inclined his head towards her, and didn't respond. She sighed and breathed in his orgasm-inspiring scent. A shiver caused her body to tremble and she moved closer to Draco's warm body. He allowed her to climb into his lap, where she rested her face on his masculine chest before kissing him lightly on the lips. He responded softly, eventually flipping her onto her back and straddling her as they made out.

She squirmed and moaned; much to Draco's enjoyment- they feeling of the wriggling body underneath him caused him much pleasure. They continued like this for a while, until they were both heated and sweaty- though the night air was chilly. Hermione panted as they paused in their kissing for a moment, before standing up and dragging Draco towards the water. He didn't know what she was doing, but he was on a sort of high from the lack of air and intense passion. When they reached the shore, she let her dress fall from her body with a subtle rustle and took off her shoes. Finally, he saw what she was doing, and removed his clothes as well- both of them leaving their underwear in a heap on the ground.

They slipped into the icy water together, both drawing their breath due to the sudden temperature change. Draco, who had an indoor pool in his house, knew how to swim quite competently and he headed out towards the deeper depths. Hermione didn't know how to swim nearly as well as he did, though she tried her best to follow the man ahead of her. The cold nipped at the extremities of their bodies, but they failed to notice when they were in each other's arms again, nearly sucking their faces off. All of the sudden, a flashlight beam weakly shown over their heads as a policeman made his rounds.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh…" Hermione whispered frantically.

"Shut up!" He snapped back, "Get over here…"

He pushed her towards some reeds, which they both got behind in an attempt to hide their naked bodies. They saw the beam of light again, and now the person holding it. After a quick scan of the water again, the officer squatted down with a stick and picked up Hermione's bra with it.

"Damn trespassing teenagers… parking illegally, littering with this filth…" He muttered under his breath. Hermione shuddered next to Draco, causing a slight splash and ripples to break across the surface.

"Whose there?" The man questioned the thin air; who in their right mind ever answered that question? He waited a second then pulled out a fat book of tickets and began to fill one out.

"Let's see… make of vehicle… Mercedes Benz…model…"

"Oh, you goddamn fucking son of a bitch cock-sucking bastard!" Draco let off an extremely long chain of explicit words under his breath. "How the bloody hell am I supposed to pay a Muggle ticket?"

"I'll help you, now please… just don't get us caught…" Hermione pleaded quickly.

They waited until they heard the police car start up again and made sure he was gone before swimming back to the shore. Draco went up the hill and got the blanket they'd had before to use as a makeshift towel. Once they had dried off, it was Hermione who swore profusely.

"That nasty fucking pervert stole my damn bra!" She stomped her foot in anger.

"It's ok Hermione. It doesn't matter… at least he didn't catch us! Though I'm thinking he's probably parked in some bushes down the road jacking off about it…"

She giggled and he was pleased he'd cheered her up.

"That's so gross…" She said with a smile.

"It's a guy thing." He explained, causing her to laugh even harder.


	5. Chapter 5

Once Draco had dressed and Hermione had slipped into her dress, minus her bra, they climbed up the hill back to the black SUV, where a white ticket stood out boldly against the windshield. Draco quickly snatched it off and scanned over the messy writing.

"£100! (About 175) That bastard is fining me £100! Goddamn it! I don't even know how to pay it the Muggle way…" He finished unhappily.

"I can help you Drakes! That's at least one good thing about being muggleborn- I know the Muggle systems…" She rested her head on his upper arm as he reread it.

"What is the 'Drakes' thing about?"

"I thought it would be an absolutely adorable pet name for you!" She said, forming kissy-lips as she stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. He frowned slightly for a second and raised his eyebrows.

"Let's get in the car, it's getting cold. Tell me more about how to pay this…" he though for a moment, "…please."

For some reason, they climbed in the backseat rather than the front and Hermione leaned in close to point out things to him on the paper ticket.

"See, that's where you need to send the money, by Muggle post and in a regular envelope with stamps and all…"

"So now I have to go to the store and get these things? Are there even any Muggle stores open at this hour? It's almost two am."

"We can go to my house… it's not far from here and my mum's probably gone- since she divorced dad, she's never home…"

Draco sighed, "I guess. You'll have to give me directions." He climbed out of the back and into the driver's seat. Hermione, with disappointment, reluctantly took her place next to him in the front. After driving back onto the road, she began to explain what way to go.

Finally, the Mercedes pulled to a stop in the dirt driveway of a could-be charming little house. Unfortunately, the owner (whom he assumed was her mum) had really let the place go and weeds overtook the lawn, which was also in need of a trim. A window in the garage door was broken out, and some overflowing garbage cans sat next to the side door. Draco actually felt some sympathy for her, and was happy for the moment that she was living temporarily with him. She pulled a key out of her purse and went up the front steps to open the door.

"Sorry about the mess… Mum's too thick to care about anything but herself." Hermione said apologetically.

"It's uh… ok."

The door swung open with a creak, and he followed her in. The living room was messy and more garbage was scattered around the tabletops and the floor, with empty beer cans stacked near a lamp. She frowned and led him down an extremely narrow hallway- Draco had to turn his shoulders to go down it. Now she swung open a door on his right and went in.

It was apparently her room, considering the stack of Hogwarts schoolbooks, Gryffindor tie and feminine motif. He came up behind her as she stood at her desk and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't mind my mess either…" She said, and quickly slid a stack of pictures under a binder. She wasn't fast enough though- he saw that the subject of the photographs was him, and that the top one must have been taken in second or third year; he had had on an evil-looking smirk. He saw her blushing and gave her a kiss to make her feel better. He truly felt sorry for her; what she had to live in and about how mean he'd been to her in the past, it wasn't really her fault she was a mudblood, she didn't choose to have Muggle parents… He gave a glance to the bed behind him- it was a full-sized with a lacy dust ruffle and a pink cotton comforter. Picking up her chin, he ever so gently brushed his lips to hers. She softened and allowed his to kiss her again without protest.

A moment later they fell to the bed with a creak, quite reminiscent of the lake make out. Hermione could sense his change in feeling- it was evident in the way he touched her, the way his tongue curled with hers, the way he caressed her- as if he wanted to pleasure her rather than himself for once. 'Could it be he finally feels love for me?' She thought hopefully. Perhaps, though he never got around to saying it because as soon as his passion arose, he remembered the ticket business and stood up immediately.

"Draco?"

"We need to finish the ticket shit; when we get home, I promise."

She soaked up his words, over-thinking them, as was the female way. 'When we get home! It's like we're actually dating!' Glee made her want to jump, but she restrained and managed to find an envelope on her desk. She grabbed a book of stamps and led him out.

"Do you want to do this here, or at your house?"

"My house. Let's go." He answered briefly and without hesitation.

He was seated at his desk and Hermione leaned over him to instruct him what to do after the car was returned to the garage and they came into the house.

"Now you need to write this address here, on the envelope and yours goes up here in this corner, ok? Oh, don't forget we need to get £100 (about 175) to put in there too. I have £50 (about 87.50) if you need it…"

"Don't worry, I've got it covered." He pulled out his fat wallet and removed the sum of money from a thick stack, appearing to be made of a mix of wizard and British Muggle money. She was impressed but was careful as to not let it show on her face. After cramming it into the envelope, he handed it to her due to the fact he had no idea how to seal it. He watched in curiosity as her pink tongue ran along an adhesive strip on the underside of the flap. She tossed it onto the desk, ready to send.

"Now all we have to do is drop it in the post…"

"Thanks for your help… now what I promised- still interested?"

"Of course…if you are…"

"Yup." They were in each other's arms only a few seconds after his reply.

Over the weeks that follow, Draco felt odd. It was one of the strangest sensations he had felt in his life. Thoughts of Hermione made him feel wonderful, and every time he saw her, he felt warm and…good. He loved to fill his eyes with her; it wasn't just her physical appearance like it was in the beginning- now it was if he could see past that, and into her soul. These feelings confused him, so he turned to the only place he knew of to help him.

"Mum… can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked once when they were alone.

"What is it baby?" Though she knew better, she still reverted to calling him 'her baby'.

"Lately, I've felt differently about Hermione. It used to be all- "Oh, she's hot, I want to shag her" but now…"

Narcissa was surprised at his lack of shame when he said this, earning her this reaction from her son.

"Mum, she's lived in this house all summer, she sleeps in my bed- with me, and you're surprised when I just say 'shag'? I thought I could talk to you like a mature adult…maybe not."

"Sorry honey. I truly am. It's just hard to get over how fast you grew up! Well back to your matter…"

"It's mostly about how I feel about her…it's not the same as it was in June…"

"Do you love her?"

"What? I don't know! How would I know?" He said defensively.

"Would you rather talk to her, be close, hold hands rather than have sex?"

He pondered this for a moment. "…Maybe…I'm not sure."

"I've seen the way you look at her, mostly when we eat dinner. I think you're in love, Draco."

He was silent. This was all going horrible wrong- by now his father and the death eaters had decided on the day of the whole kill-potter thing…and he had already agreed that if Hermione got in the way, he would have to kill her too…But if he was in love…he'd probably chicken out- and they had made these plans soon after he got that parking ticket with the Mercedes…and that was before the whole change in feelings… He didn't want Hermione dead; she had never done anything wrong to him…

"Draco? Are you ok?" His mother peered at him worriedly.

"Uh yeah…see you later Mum, thanks." He got up and left in a hurry.

Now, faced with the bleak possibility that he might have to kill his girlfriend, time seemed to fly by faster than ever. Hermione noticed Draco withdrawing, and often times tried to comfort him for unknown reasons when she found him, sitting alone- tense and wringing his hands.

Too soon, it was the night before the plan was to be put into action. Draco couldn't even shut his eyes he was so nervous.

"Draco? Aren't you tired?" Hermione questioned lovingly.

"…I…uh, don't feel well. Don't feel well at all."

"Can I get you anything? Water?"

"Just please stop talking…" He begged.

"Ok, fine. Goodnight- I love you…" She said it every night, and thus far Draco hadn't said it back, being meaningful.

"I love you too." A weak voice sounded loudly in his bedroom.

This time it echoed in her ears, making her want to cry out from the mountains, sing out her joy- he had meant it! He loved her! She attempted to hold in a joyous sob, but failed. Draco rolled over, to see what was the matter.

"What's wrong Hermi?"

"You love me… oh god…" She began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I mean it, I truly do- with all my heart." He sat up and pulled her into a genuine hug. She sniffed and hugged back, leaning and planting a kiss on his warm lips.

This had led to real sex, not the sham called the same they performed before. They both expressed love, rather than blind lust and both could feel it with every soft caress, in every nook and cranny of their beings. It was the single best moment in Draco's life when they had become one; the heat and passion of their desires satisfied and the anomalous way that it bound them further together. They didn't bother to separate themselves and soon Hermione was curled in his arms, still full of Draco as she slept. He was still plagued with the insomnia from before the enlightening experience, and now had to bear the uncomfortable fact that he couldn't move.

As dawn broke through the night sky, Draco slipped into an uneasy doze, only to wake up a few moments later at the touch of someone unknown.

"Come with me for a while son." Lucius Malfoy looked odd against the background of Draco's personal belongings. It was a strange position he had now put his son in- if he was to flip back the covers, he was still naked, though if he denied he'd no doubt be punished.

"Uh…" Draco started.

"Would you like me to wait in the hall?" Lucius had an idea of what he was to find under the sheets.

"Yes, thank you sir." he expressed his gratitude very respectfully.

Once the door shut behind his father, Draco ever so carefully pulled himself from Hermione and quickly got dressed. He tiptoed out the door and turned to face Lucius.

Without a word, they both began to walk- Draco following slightly. Once they had left the house, he began to talk.

"Draco… are you ready for tonight? You know the plan…"

"Yes sir. We are going to lure out the family- leaving Potter, surround the house and we'll eventually slip in, unnoticed. The one to deliver the kill hasn't been decided yet, but after entering, we'll corner him and the designated killer will perform the Avada Kedavra curse."

"Excellent, as well as the reason I wanted to speak to you. It was your plan and you found out the necessary information. The death eaters and I also feel as though the hatred of Potter running through your veins is stronger than any of ours. You will be the one to execute the spell."

"I'm underage though…I'll be caught…they can trace my wand to it…"

"I've taken care of that. You will kill him using Lord Voldemort's wand."

Draco was scared out of his wits. He was going to have to kill one of his classmates, his lover's friend… His heartbeat increased under his ribs.

"Father…what if he fights back?"

"One seventeen year old wizard against as many of the death eaters that will fit into the shitty Muggle house? I doubt we'll be more than scratched."

He started to leave but turned around and said, "I'm proud of you Draco."

As soon as Draco could no longer see his father's retreating back, he slumped to the lawn in a dead faint.

Draco vomited violently as he shook uncontrollably in the bathroom. Luckily, Hermione only knew that he and his father had business to do, and that she was going to spend the evening with Narcissa.

When he finished, Lucius walked with him to the garage, where they both climbed into the Porsche. It was the first time he'd ever been in it, though he didn't enjoy it- he was more occupied on holding his flip-flopping stomach from emptying its contents all over the nearly £35,000 (about 61,250) interior.

Finally, after a ride that seemed to last forever, Lucius stopped the car but remained in his seat for a moment.

"Here's the wand…" He said, handing a thin box to his son, who took it but didn't say anything. He also handed him a black mask and instructed him to put it on. A flicker issued from Lucius' pocket so he removed his wand and allowed an image to display itself, apparently from another of the death eaters.

"The muggles are out of the house." A phrase so simple, yet so monumental in Draco's life. As if in slow motion, both Malfoy males got out of the car and walked down the sidewalk to number four. The familiar house sat menacingly near the curb; Draco closed his eyes, though the image was permanently etched into his brain.

The door was already open when they made their way up the walk; other death eaters were already mulling around silently in the kitchen. Upon the arrival of Draco and Lucius, they turned and looked for instruction. The eldest Malfoy nodded his head towards the stairs and they began to ascend them.

With a quivering hand, Draco held the wand of the most powerful dark wizard in front of him as he followed his father.

A door swung open on his right and a group of people aimed wands at the death eaters.

"Drop your wands, now!" The people in the room yelled. Draco vaguely recognised one of the people- it was their old defence against the dark arts teacher Mad-Eye Moody. He was an auror…, which would mean someone had found out about the plan… None of the black-masked group listened, and it all began with the casting of one simple 'expelliarmus'. The battle to kill Potter had begun.

It was complete pandemonium as everywhere in the house spells flew wildly through the air, smashing things and hitting people. Through the chaos, Draco felt a tug on his clothes that pulled him out of danger- for the moment.

Lucius pushed his son back into the wall and told him to kill the boy- no matter what. Draco panted in fear, though he knew he had no choice but to obey. He dodged many spells, searching throughout the upstairs of the house, until he saw his nemesis standing behind Remus Lupin (another defence teacher).

He raised his arm, "Avad…" Unfortunately, as Draco attempted to finish the job, some of the aurors heard him and his body fell to the floor after being bombarded with an assortment of powerful spells.

Draco's head pounded, and pain screamed from every region of his body. Attempting to sit up, he only succeeded in almost passing out. Using the last of his strength, he wrenched his eyes open, only to wince from the lights overhead. Once the room came back into focus, he saw a familiar head sitting at his bedside.

"Draco, you're awake…" Hermione's voice sounded fuzzy in his head.

He tried to respond, but was surprised when his tongue and jaw didn't seem to want to follow the commands from his brain. The result was a sort of low moan coming from deep in his throat. Hermione was quietly sobbing, and when she noticed him watching she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"I was so scared…I thought you were…de... dead…You've been in a coma or something for the past th-three days…You got hit by a s-s-spell- no one knows who did it… or w-what it w-was…" She peered at him with shimmering eyes. He suddenly felt very tired again, and closed his eyes. Hermione continued to talk, but her voice sounded farther and farther away. Everything began to spin wildly, and before he knew it he threw up all over himself. He heard her jump up, and yell to someone else. The footsteps of others sounded, coming closer to his beside and whispering over him. He passed out before he heard anything else.

Hermione simply couldn't believe it. The past few days had dragged by, mostly due to the fact she rarely left Draco's side. 'I never said I loved him before he left!' She thought desperately, 'What if he never wakes up?'

Narcissa was often there to comfort her when thoughts like this struck, but couldn't bear to look at her son lying there like that. Unfortunately, Lucius was rare to be seen, though he sat in a wheelchair at the bedside for the whole first day… and Narcissa had seen him sitting alone near him sometimes when neither she nor Hermione were around. This was a change from his usual bedside behaviours- when his father died; he had sat in a chair the whole time with his arms crossed- just waiting to get the inheritance… Though this upset her, she didn't reprimand her husband; she could see him growing weaker everyday…

It was several more days before Draco's body had recovered enough for him to be conscious again. The pain tore through his body still, but he was able to open his eyes without much effort. He again took note that Hermione was at his side. He blinked several times and looked down at what he could see of his body.

A heavy white blanket covered most of him, but he could see that covering his arm were oozy-looking scabs, surrounded by violent purple bruises on almost every visible inch.

Hermione saw him staring at himself, and took it upon herself to explain again, assuming he didn't remember from a few days ago.

"It was a spell someone cast. We don't know what one it is, which makes me think it's some kind of combination of several. By the way, the healers say you can't move… not that you'd want to…those sores are everywhere…" A tear slid down her cheek, falling past her smile. "I thought you weren't going to wake up… and so did everyone else…but you did…Oh Draco, I love you so much! More than you'll ever know… Oh god, Draco…" She burst into tears, sobbing into her hands.

He hovered on the edge of being awake when his mother came into focus behind her.

"My little boy…I love you…" Narcissa remained slightly more composed, though tears glistened in her eyes as well, as she laid her hand lightly on his stomach. "Your father was in here too… he was afraid you were uh… dead…before he…He saved you too. He apparated your body away- or else the aurors would have killed you…"

Draco tried to analyse her face to see if she was making it up as she so often did when she spoke of his father… but she wasn't… did he really care? His head spun painfully, making him feel nauseous again. Colours from around the room blended into a blindingly painful spectrum, and again, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he blacked out.

This time it was only a matter of moments before he was revived; his mother and his girlfriend were both standing over him, looking anxious. He stared upwards, past their worried faces to the off-white ceiling. It hurt to breath, and they were making him feel claustrophobic. Finally, both women backed off a little and he took a few deeper breaths, despite the unbearable stabbing feeling greeting his ribs and lungs.

He tried to talk; something his throat hadn't been forced to do for a week. "Her…Hermione. Mum."

"My precious baby boy! I love you so much!" Narcissa cried out, and nearly flung herself onto his chest in a hug. Pain bombarded his senses, causing him to lose his breath. She noticed and quickly stood back up, straightening her sweater. "Sorry honey…"

Over the next few weeks, he recovered- slowly but steadily until he was finally allowed to go home. It was only a week until the next school term, and he seriously debated whether or not to go back… but he would. For Hermione. Anything for her- if there was anything he learned in his recovery process, it was that love is stronger than any spell. Hermione had always been there for him, and yet, before his injury he was to blind to see it.

The morning he was due back at school he waited for Hermione, who was going back with him. It was still an hour before she said she was leaving the house, so he wandered around the Malfoy property aimlessly.

A small rusty squeak escaped the hinge of the gate as he stepped into the private Malfoy cemetery. The grass grabbed at his heels as he walked to the back, where a semi-recently dug grave was, with a large shining headstone.

"Good day Father…" He stooped down, squatting next to the final resting spot of Lucius Malfoy. The breeze rustled eerily. "I'm going back to school again today…and I won't be back for a while… I was tempted to take my inheritance and leave, but I have to carry on the Malfoy bloodline… so I might as well finish my education first…" He faded off, and just sat in silence for a bit. He finally looked up when Hermione's feminine voice called to him from the gate.

"Draco, are you ready?" She asked gently.

"Yeah, let's go." He took her hand, and with one final glance in the direction of his father, turned and left.

Hermione forgave Draco about the Harry-thing, after all he IS a Malfoy and because she was in love, was understanding about it, besides, after the near-death experience and his father's death, he wasn't interested in killing Potter anymore. His mother defended him at a hearing, which could have sent him to Azkaban for life; luckily, she was able to convince the judges he was under the Imperious Curse and was innocent.

Epilogue: When Hermione and Draco returned to school, they remained a couple until after graduation, after which Draco proposed. She moved in (officially), and a few months later they had an extravagant wedding. A child was next in line, and the next May, the Malfoy male heir was born. Happily, they lived together for several decades until they both died of old age, leaving their only child the Malfoy fortune.


End file.
